Canadian tuxedo or Daisy Duke shorts at Stampede? No siree, say stylists.

Photograph by: Jeff McIntosh
, Getty Images Entertainment

Alexandra Gabris, a stylist at the boutique Espy, says the “Canadian tuxedo” is not a good look.

Instead, she suggests delving into one of this season’s hottest trends: colour blocking. Try pairing a brightly coloured pair of jeans - in a turquoise or coral hue, for instance - with a similarly vibrant blouse. Then throw a more subdued blue denim jacket on top.

“This is a great way to do denim-on-denim without being too matchy-matchy. That’s something you don’t want to do for the Stampede,” said Gabris.

Oversized, boxy plaid shirts are best left at a Pearl Jam concert in 1991, and have no place at the Stampede in 2012.

Riley & McCormick’s Guichon said his downtown Calgary store has been twice as busy this year compared to other years due to the Stampede’s 100th anniversary.

“Boots and hats and shirts and jeans and belts and buckles Ñ everything is going.”

There are cheap hats aplenty around Cowtown during Stampede, and a lot of people just pick one with no intention of wearing it once the festival is over.

“After a couple of days of heavy partying it kind of looks like they didn’t pay a lot of money for it. They get beat up pretty easy,” he said.

A decent wool cowboy hat will cost between $70 and $125. The best quality hats are made from rabbit or beaver fur, and will run you upwards of $180. They may be pricier, but they’ll last longer and keep their shape better.

A hat has got to fit just right, said Guichon.

“The wind’s not going to take it off, but it’s not going to give you a headache,” he said.

If you’re Stampeding all day long, happy feet are a must. A cowboy boot with a rubber sole is durable and comfortable, but the downside is that they can get hot.

“Personally, I like an all-leather boot because leather breathes and leather is more dynamic. It’s a natural fibre,” said Guichon.

Jeans, Guichon said, are “a given.”

“Denim is pretty consistent with sort of the cowboy uniform...You’ve gotta have some jeans on,” he said.

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